Also, the Indonesian government suggests new regulations and Commerce.Asia raises US$1.3M

Southeaast Asia is putting the Grab/Uber deal under eyes of competition watchdogs — [Reuters]

Malaysia today said it will be monitoring the implementation of Grab’s purchase of Uber to make sure it doesn’t create an anti-competitive industry environment, according to Reuters.

The Philippines Competition Committee also said, “The Grab-Uber acquisition is likely to have a far reaching impact on the riding public and the transportation services. As such, the PCC is looking at the deal closely,” in a statement to The Straits Times.

Singapore put the deal through its own competition office last Friday.

Indonesia says ride-hailing firms need to register as transport companies — [Reuters]

In an effort to regulate ride-hailing companies as a “public service provider”, Indonesia is planning to make Go-Jek and Grab register as transportation companies within two months, according to Reuters.

Transport Minister Budi Karya Sumadi cited a need to oversee traffic safety issues while the internet companies pointed out that they do not own vehicles.

One of the issues dogging the Indonesian ride-hailing industry is the propensity for the government to change its mind. While this latest regulation could go through, if it follows the trends of previous years, it may very well be rescinded.

Commerce.Asia raising US$1.3M via equity crowdfunding — [e27]

Commerce.Asia, a startup that provides omni-channel solutions for SMEs, has raised US$1.8 million dollars via an equity crowdfunding sales. The startup is notable because it was Founded by Ganesh Bangah, the Founder of MOL Global in Malaysia.

MOL Global is considered to be a pioneering startup in Malaysia.

For Commerce.Asia, the money will be used to facilitate its “three-pronged solution”. The company owns an e-commerce integration business, a drop shipping company and a warehouse provider. The goal is that by merging these three services, Commerce.Asia can become a go-to for SMEs trying to sell more online.

The money was raised via pitchIN.

Malaysia’s MaGIC, Vietnam’s SIHUB join forces to help startups with their regional expansion move — [e27]

Two Southeast Asian government agencies — The Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) and Saigon Innovation Hub (SIHUB) — announced today a strategic partnership to provide a platform for the startups to expand their initiatives into both countries.

The programme will be called Runway to the World and will help participating startups tailor their business model to target country, then find suitable partners, investors, and clients to expand and accelerate growth.

Alibaba buys food delivery platform Ele.me [e27 via TechNode]

Alibaba, which had previously owned 43 per cent of Ele.me, has purchased the remaining shares of the ride-hailing startup. The deal brings into Alibaba’s orbit a company valued at US$9.5 billion.

It also is the culmination of rumours that have been buzzing around the companies for months.

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